University of Bern (UNIBE), Switzerland
Institute of Geography
The Institute of Geography, founded in 1881, is one of the five departments of the Faculty of Sciences. It consists of four sections: Physical Geography, Soil Science, Human Geography and the Centre for Development and Environment. Since Prof. Eduard Brückner, the department has a long tradition in atmosphere, past, present and future climate change and glacier research.
The Climatology and Meteorology Research Group (KLIMET; http://www.giub.unibe.ch/klimet/) is composed of 7 research staff, 4 support staff and 12 graduate students. Over the last 15 years KLIMET has participated in EU (ADVICE, EMULATE, SOAP, CIRCE) and national integrated cross-disciplinary programmes (National Centre of Excellence in Research on Climate (NCCR Climate; http://www.nccr-climate.unibe.ch) covering the topics of: Past climate dynamics, climate reconstructions, GCM/data comparison, weather and climate extremes and their impacts on society and economy in the Alps and Europe, micrometeorology, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, Mediterranean climate change, glacier research, future climate scenarios and impacts.
Dr Jürg Luterbacher studied physical Geography, Botany, Chemistry and Geology at the University of Bern, Switzerland. In 1999 he was awarded a doctorate in Natural Sciences from the University of Bern. For several years he was the principal research scientist of EU 5th framework projects. In this role he is the group’s project manager, leader an co-leader of collaborative multidisciplinary national and international programs related to climate change issues (past, present, future), climate variability at different time scales, weather and climate extremes, natural hazards, statistical climate reconstructions, dynamical aspects and related societal and environmental issues.